Abstract

IRRATIONAL PRESCRIBING OF ANTIBIOTICS IN DIFFERENT OUTPATIENTS SETTINGS AT HYDERABAD, SINDH

Sadaf Hayat Laghari*, Abdullah Dayo, Muhammad Ali Ghoto, Imran Suheryani, Naheed Memon, Ali Gul, Hina Saleem and Jabbar Abbas

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to evaluate the irrational use of antibiotics in out-patients, because irrational use of antibiotic is harmful for the community and a widespread problem of the world mainly for under developed countries. In addition antibiotics will show same actions against the host cell, as they do to the bacterium. For Example, Trimethoprim can depress folic acid in both microorganism and also host cell. According to world health organization microbial resistance will be produced by irrational use of medicines and it can cause morbidity and mortality. In this study prescriptions were collected from different out-patient settings of Hyderabad city. Total 500 prescriptions were collected during the period of one year from November 2014 to November 2015. Collected prescriptions were evaluated for rational prescribing and use of antibiotics on the basis of authentic drug references e.g. Drug Information Handbook, British National Formulary, and WHO standards for prescription writing. Results of the study reveals that patients related information like age, weight were not present in 24.6% and 58.4% prescriptions respectively, antibiotic dose was incorrect in 37% prescriptions, duration of therapy was not mentioned in 49.6% prescriptions, dosing frequency were inaccurate in 55% prescription and 69.6% prescription were lacking from direction to the patient. Additionally it is also resulted that 60.3% of total prescription were prescribed irrationally. This irrational use may lead to severe side effect and antibiotic resistance.

Keywords: Irrational prescribing, Antibiotics, Microbial resistance, Hyderabad, Pakistan.